Royal Courts Of Justice

A fun stop a bit off the beaten path although it’s right in the center of London. The staff is very friendly, and the receptionist will direct one to the type of appeal of ones choice. Bear in mind this is an appeals court, and somewhere the building they do civil trials, but don’t come here for criminal trials (that’s the Old Bailey). It’s pretty inside, and very unlike an American courtroom, so worth checking out briefly, especially on a rainy England day or to rest feet aching from days of streetwalking. The lawyers have wigs and the courtrooms look a lot like what I imagined based on images in movies and such. The language the judges use is still similar, too.

Batiment massif et impressionnant. Pur style British Cromwell

Dear Tourists,
Welcome to Legal London. You’ve no doubt heard somewhere that you can visit the Royal Courts of Justice and sit in on court hearings. That, or you’re reading it here. Well, yes! You CAN visit the Royal Courts of Justice and sit in on court hearings! All it takes is an airport-​like security check (ie, x-​ray machine, metal detector). And you’re in! Now, let’s set some ground rules so you can make the most of your visit.
1) While you technically can get away with wearing jeans and a T-​shirt to court, don’t do this. I know you’re on holiday, but at least wear that ‘dressy’ outfit you brought along with you. You can trust me; when you’re wandering around the courts among black besuited types feeling like a slob in your trainers, jeans, ‘I heart London’ shirt and bum bag, you’ll wish you’d listened.
2) Bow your head to the judge when you enter a court room, whether or not s/​he looks at you. Also, bow when you leave.
3) Speaking of entering and leaving a court room, you can do this at any time other than when the judges are standing (entering or leaving the court room themselves), but be quiet about it, will you?
4) You’re allowed to sit in the back two rows of a court room. The other rows are for barristers, their junior barristers, press, law reporters and friends and family of those involved in the case. If there’s standing room at the back because a particular case is so popular and all the seats are taken, you can stand there too.
5) Yes, judges and barristers still wear those foppish wigs. Don’t act so shocked.
6) Sit in on criminal cases if you’re looking to be entertained. Don’t blame me if you go to the courts of chancery and listen in on inheritance disputes or tax evasion cases and can’t follow anything that’s being said. If something isn’t entertaining enough for you, leave that court and go to the next one; don’t feel obligated to stay.
7) Take a stroll around; don’t be afraid. The Royal Courts of Justice are like a museum, with many displays of court attire through the ages to keep visitors suitably engaged. So long as you keep out of rooms that are marked as private, you’ll be all right.
8) Closed courts should be marked as such; don’t enter them. The court used for family cases has clouded-​out windows; you’re not allowed in there either. If you’re looking for something specific or just want to peruse the cases for the day, a list will be posted on the bulletin board in the Main Hall.
9) No pictures under any circumstances. No, not even to get sneaky pictures of the aforementioned wigs.
10) Don’t use your mobile phone in the court rooms.
Have a great time.
FYSR,
Larissa

Was at this location for an event. What a wonderful venue to have as a backdrop for a gala dinner. Quite enjoyed the surroundings and the rooms we were in as part of the event. A bit annoying was the security check when coming in which took forever but otherwise a site definitely worth seeing. Stop in if in the area. I highly recommend it but don’t bring big bags or anything you’d need to schlep around with you.

Admittedly, the Royal Courts of Justice is not usually on the travel agendas of most folks but that didn’t stop us from stopping in to check out the orgins of due process. Civil cases are heard here and they are open to the public. Just a quick security screen and you are in. The court rooms are on the second floor and you can sneak in quietly to watch the barristers don their wigs. You will not see computers here, and we were shocked that court reporters are not allowed here either.
This is where the Paul McCartney/​Heather Mills divorce proceedings were, and I can only imagine the ruckus that caused in the Courts.
The architecture is stunning and there is a sculpture/​costume exhibit on the second floor in between the two wings of courtrooms.
Ironically enough, my favorite piece was a contemporary scuplture by David Mach featuring the bust of Lord Harry Kenneth Woolf made entirely of nickel plated wire hangers. The look of it is jarring because the hangers almost create the look of a forcefield around Lord Woolf. No photography was allowed in the courthouse so I couldn’t post a pic. This means you’ll have to just go off the beaten path and check this out for yourself!
Sidebar: The BBC has their own version of Law and Order for London. Very cool.

When people go sightseeing in London they normally focus on what they’ve seen in movies. They go see Big Ben, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. They might get around to a few of the museums but they miss out on the Royal Courts of Justice. If you like historic buildings and amazing architecture, this is the place to go. Just the outside of the building is spectacular and the inside feels as if you stepped hundreds of years into the past.
The building has an incredibly history and you are allowed to walk through the court, they may have organised tours. When I have gone it has been with my own personal tour guide. When you go to the Royal Courts of Justice there are a few things you don’t want to miss. Make sure you go into the Bear Garden, the rooms were originally robing rooms, the original décor remains intake. It is incredibly to look around at the detail and appreciate the beauty of the room. The best part of going to court is that you can sit in and listen to the Barristers argue cases. Most of the cases are open to the public, if not a note will be posted. Remember to enter and leave quietly and sit in the last two rows. If you are lucky you might witness something interesting or stumble across someone famous having a legal dispute.
Also, before you leave make sure you find the judge’s entrance in the rear, over the door is a cat and dog. When I saw it I thought it was funny but the cat and dog represent litigants, which, if you’ve ever seen a case that’s gotten ugly makes sense. In addition to the impressive and imposing space, the building is filled with statues and paintings; my favourite is of Queen Victoria opening the court. There is so much to explore. This is an incredible building and if you want to do something off the beaten path, on a weekday, this is a great place to visit.

Forget going to the theatre in London go to the Courts! It free and obviously of high calibre. Its an insight into what really goes on. A tip for the day is-​try not to take a bag (if you must a small one). And don’t forget to switch off your mobile!

Moi je suis avant tout rentré car l’architecture de ce monument est impressionnant étant donne que mon guide né disait pas grand chose sur les royal courts of justice. Mais je dois avouer qu’une fois à l’intérieur j’ai été un peu déçue en un premier temps. L’exposition des anciens costumes traditionnels des juges/​avocats etc. est poussiéreuse et mal éclairée et ça né vaut pas trop la chandelle. Mais bon sachant que c’est totalement gratuit on peut toujours y jeter un coup d’œil si l’on est déjà devant. Par contre j’ai bien aimé épier les vraies affaires de justice. En effet, on peut regarder à l’intérieur des salles où ont lieu des audiences ou je né sais trop quoi et j’ai trouvé ça plutôt intéressant de voir tous ces hommes de justice (certains avec des perruques) en train de gesticuler.

Obligé de la voir car entre la City et Westminster…
Avec 88 salles d’audience, le public peut s’asseoir au dernier rang de chaque salle dans les audiences publiques seulement. Les dossiers sont listés dans le grand hall d’entrée. On peut demander au personnel un conseil pour choisir tel ou tel jugement ils sont souvent très bien au courant. C’est ouvert de 9h à 16h et les audiences ont souvent lieu de 10h à 15h. L’entrée est gratuite mais très controlée. C’est situé au métro temple.